From the First Time We Met
by Harem Queen
Summary: What if, even when Natsume doesn't remember, Natori had met Natsume before in the past? Now, wouldn't take just change their relationship by a whole lot?
1. Chapter 1

**My second story (which will probably lead to my second failure -.-lll) I am happy (and sad) to say that I was off of fanfiction wayyyy tooooo long (four months?). So I am trying to get back ^.^ **

**Disclaimer- By god, if I were the maker of this wonderful manga...wow...its unimaginable.**

**To sum it up, everybody, this story is of Natori Shuuichi's Point of View**

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><p>To everyone, there are three types of people. There are the ones worse than you, ones better than you, and ones the same as you. Most, if not all, people pity the people of lower status and worship and idolize the people of greater status. We all only feel comfortable around people who reminds us of ourself, be it good or bad. They tell us that there are others who are struggling like us, they fill us with hope that eventually we will get better and rise.<p>

But sometimes we miscalculate. We would observe someone and come to the conclusion that he or she is on the same boat as us, without actually fully understanding them. When we do this, we would get hurt, or we would accidentally hurt the other person. The moment we intertwine fates with that person, we would, already feel as if something is wrong, instinctively. But we would ignore that feeling and think to ourselves "what could possibly go wrong?"

I never had any friends, never. Isn't it funny? How someone and famous as me never had any friends in his whole entire life? There is one major difference between most of the human residents upon this world and me. And that one difference was able to keep them away from me for years. In total, there was one person who was able to break the walls in between. The surprising thing was, even though he was similar upon what was different of everyone else, he was different in almost all the other aspects. That was why even after he broke the wall, he was not able to see everything behind it.

I used to think he was almost exactly like me. It was the first time I have ever misconstrued someone. It was just... he was just... too similar on the outside.

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><p>The first time I've seen him was nine years ago, when I was fourteen and he was six. I doubt he even remembers then. I hated youkais. They made my life miserable as it is. So I vowed to make their lives just as agonizing as mine, if not worse. So I was surprised when I saw him casually talking to one of them. It was a female. Her stature and looks were that of a human's but it was obvious to me that she wasn't. You see, I couldn't see youkais very well. My father, the past leader of the Natori clan, was able to perceive them without any problems but he fell in love with a normal human. Although the curse to see the youkais were the dominant genes, my sight was affected and was not as good as the other exorcists. At that time nine years ago, it was an advantage for me. Because of my not-really-good sight, I was able to separate them from the real humans. But after years went by, it started to gradually fade more and more away so I started to wear glasses during my job as an exorcist.<p>

I met him near Shiromachi. I have learned about him when he first settled here. Everyone was saying how he was a bad child. They would tell each other about him. How he would always tell lies. How he would say something is there even though there is actually nothing. How he was such a pain that even his relatives didn't want him and would pass him around to others to get rid of him. They didn't know even when he was right in front of them. Although he gave them so much hints without even trying, they didn't understand him. Sometimes, I will see him in the morning while walking to school. He would be staring through a restaurant window, almost drooling, at the various types of noodles in display. And although he did this almost all the time, he never asked anyone to buy it for him. I had once asked him myself one saturday evening. I was taking a stroll around in the forrest nearby. It was getting pretty chilly so I decided to go home. On the way, I saw him again. He was, as usual, staring through the window looking at all the different assortments.

I had asked him whether or not he liked the noodles at that restaurant. Without even looking at me, he rapidly nodded his head and told me, "I do, but I never ate it before."

I was not surprised. I had eaten at that place many times before. Despite the looks and smell, it isn't very delicious. But I didn't tell him that. I simply nodded my head even though he didn't see it and asked, "Then do you want to eat some with me?"

That question had taken up his interest away from the window. He turned his head to face me. I almost laughed. His eyes were wide as saucers and he was almost drooling. Then, his voice hushed, he said, "Seriously? Will you?"

I started laughing. He was hilarious. His awestruck face, his small voice, it was too much, just too much. He was still looking at me, though now, a little confused. His eyes went crossed as he tried to look at his own face, probably wondering why I was laughing and whether or not it was because there was something on his face. That made me laugh even harder and I had to hold my stomach. At this point, he started blushing and quickly hid his face behind his hands and whispered, "Is there something on my face?"

"No, no, there isn't."

"Then why are you laughing?" He peeked through his finger at me.

"No reasons, no reasons. Come on, I'll get you something to eat from the restaurant."

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><p><strong>I may (or may not) make this into a shounen-ai fanfic between Natori and Natsume. Maybe...I'll consider it. Just maybe...<strong>

**Ah right, I may be asking my friend to clean up, or edit this story for me, lets call him/her CPU so if my writing style changes a little, remember that it might not be me.**

**NPC and CPU forever~**


	2. Chapter 2

**I was totally unaware of the fact that this story actually got followers, so I kinda gave up on it...I'm so sorry. -.-lll All the Fanfiction e-mails I got were automatically sent to my spam folder, so I just assumed that...well, that this story was bad, I'm so sorry.**

**Disclaimer- I dis- claim any claimers that claim that I have ever claimed about claiming that I own Natsume Yuujinchou. Cuz I never did claim.**

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><p>Now, that day was the best that he wants to remember, or that was how he phrased it. I didn't pry. There was no need. It wasn't beneficial to me, though quite amusing, alright. It was still engraved in my mind, his exciting, yet cautious voice as he talked to the waitress, his confused face as he looked at the restaurant menu, his embarrassed look as he reluctantly asked me what dish was what, unaccustomed to getting help from others. As we waited for the order to arrive, I saw his eyes flit to my left arm, where a black newt was to be seen. His eyes widened slightly as it moved, into the sleeve of my shirt before disappearing from view. He had almost jumped from his seat, and I, seeing that, almost started laughing again.<p>

He then, in a voice almost as quiet as a whisper, told me, "I...I think a snake with legs just climbed into your shirt." As if on cue, it climbed onto my right arm, encircling itself around my wrist. He jumped and I bit down a laugh. "T-there it is!" he informed me as he pointed at my wrist, from a safe distance away.

I pretended to seem impassive as I raised my arm. He tensed. "Oh this? It's my ...pet newt."

He relaxed a little, and gathering courage, asked, "What's its name?" Completely oblivious to the fact that it was two- dimensional.

After pondering for a moment I told him, "I didn't name it yet, but if you happen to have a suggestion, don't be shy to say so."

He creased his eyebrows as he tried to think of a name, "Uh...Ku...Kuro?"

"Kukuro?"

"Ah, no, the 'ku' was a stu-"

"Great one! Kukuro it is!"

He faltered.

The rest of the time were spent with questions and answer, or to be more precise, my questions and his stuttering as he tried to give an answer to my endless question, until the food came. The look on his face was priceless. His eyes shone with such excitement, it was hard to believe. He had quickly clapped his hands together, muttering a small, "Ittadakimasu," picked up the chopsticks and immediately attacked the bowl of noodles, sputtering when the scorching hot soup met his delicate tongue. I just watched him eat, my own meal forgotten. After the not-so-pleasant approach with the noodle, he had lift up one strand of noodle, blew on it for what seemed like a million times, and nibbled on it, cautious so he wouldn't burn his tongue again. It was so fun watching him eat that way, as he did the exact same thing over and over again, not wanting to suffer the same thing twice.

When he finally finished eating (and happy as could be), around an hour later, he glanced at the clock and jumped up, "AH!...I'm s-sorry but I have to leave now...I don't want to trouble my... relatives..."

I just smile, "Kay then, do you want to meet tomorrow?" He froze, his left arm stuck into his jacket, "T-tomorrow? Uh...where?"

"By the bridge, the one with a dead lamp."

HIs eyes flashed with recognition, "When?"

"Anytime tomorrow, I'll be staying there for quite a while, actually. I want to show you something."

And with a nod of his head, he got of his seat, and with a voice quieter than a whisper, he said something I haven't heard since, perhaps, a long time ago.

"Thank you for today." And then he ran.

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><p><strong>I am sincerely very very sorry about the extreme shortness of this chapter, very sorry, but I have a reason, and that is my un-creativeness. I'm sorry, I'll do my best to make the next chapter better, I promise.<strong>

**If you have any suggestions at all for this story, please (I'm begging you) tell me via review or PM.**

**I thank everyone who had followed this story, or even gave it a little read. Thank you sooooo much, I love you~**


	3. Chapter 3

**I beg for you guys' forgiveness. I just...totally...lost all connection and stuff to Fanfiction for a long while (I blame school and golf and stuff) so here I am going to try again to write a chapter (or two...or three) for you guys. Don't expect a lot though...cuz...just...cuz.**

**Don't hate. If you do, leave a review! I desperately want reviews because reason.**

**Disclaimer- As much as I want to be, I'm not the owner of Natsume Yuujinchou. If I were, I would...idk...rule the world with its awesomeness...and..stuff...yea.**

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><p>*Swish*<p>

*Swish*

*Click*

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Click*

Its been only 5 hours since I last saw the boy and yet I'm missing him. Already.

Even though I knew the boy for only a little while, I was fascinated by the boy's aura and...well...everything. It was surprising enough to find someone who was able to see youkais, but to be able to meet one who didn't...well..doesn't really understand his own potential...well, they're special. It's not just everyday that one can find someone like the boy, it's not just that he could see youkais, but the trusting and well-manners, it's not common anymore in this day and age. I sighed as I shuffled around for a more comfortable position on my bed. The springs squeaked as the weight shifted about as I moved around for a more comfortable position. My mother's necklace swirled around my finger. The last and only gift from my mother, a simple, yet intricate moonstone pendant was a claimed heirloom rumored to have dated back to the Kōka era.

My mother had been constantly sick since the day of my birth, and even though her incurable sickness kept her in bed most often that not, she had not, in the thirty-five years on her life missed a chance to reprimand me for any of the many foolish actions I have taken. Even on her deathbed, her words were those not of a caring mother's: "Strive," she had stated, "And destroy those insidious creatures who remain unseen to most."

Twas then was when she had taken off the necklace of her's, a beloved treasure, and with frail shaking hands, handed the delicate ornament to me.

She was not smiling when she died. Her face consorted into a frown, as if she regretted not doing many things in her short life span.

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Click*

*Stop*

The necklace swinging upon my hands slowly came to a stop. Something kept nagging me in the back of my mind…

What am I missing... I know it has something to do with the kid… the kid… the ki-

I stood up slowly, before turning toward the wall, and ramming straight forward.

*Thump*

I'm so stupid.

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><p>(7:43 pm)<p>

*Tap*

*Tap*

*Tap*

I was getting impatient, and that doesn't usually happen. I checked my watched for the millionth time and sighed. The sky turned a deep blue and the forest, once bright with shining emerald-green and muddy brown converted to it's more forlorn self, now only a dark silhouette barely standing out from the sky, almost equally as murky. It was quite pleasant standing there on the bridge, being able to gaze across the horizon and let one's mind wander. But to stand there for the past ten hours, it isn't as much as of delightful experience. It was fun, though, watching as the residents of the city wander around, be it human or youkai. The humans promptly ignored me, save a few girls who had asked me to help them take a picture. The youkai's, not so much. A few strolled across the bridge, not really paying attention to their surroundings. Most kept a respectful distance away from me, muttering to each other as they glance once or twice at my direction. The oddest was this group of youkais. All barely reached the height of my elbows, all wearing the same black cloth draped over their head, covering their bodies, all seemingly sad and in mourning, and all chanting the same lines over and over again, "Grief our master had passed, Sorrow in this amassed."

When I had almost given up and was all but ready to leave, he came.

*Clack*

*Clack*

*Clack*

*Trip*

And with a small shriek, he landed right in my arms, poised to catch him by instinct. I glared at the quarter-sized youkai who caused the fall, but it just kept going on its way, unfazed.

"Ah…", he started, pushing himself up from my arms, "Sorry." He looked down at the ground, as if expecting me to scold him. When I stayed silent, he warily glanced at me, puzzled.

His face was marred with scratches and bruises, yet he didn't really seem to mind. A fresh bruise bloomed on his left cheek and a few scratches littered his face here and there.

When he saw my concerned face, he quickly looked down again and muttered, "I..uh...bumped into a tree."

This kid was a horrible liar.

Trying to change the subject, he hastily threw out a question.

"Did I make you wait long?" He inquired.

"No, you didn't at all. I just got here an hour ago." I replied, dusting off my hands. The small youkai continued about its way and I noticed as the kid glanced at it.

"Oh right!" I started, making him jump. "What was your name? I didn't quite catch it last time."

"N-Natsume Takashi."

"Natsume, huh?" The name rang a bell in my head, but to which bell, I didn't know. I just ignored it. "I'm Natori Shuuichi. Pleased to meet you."

I extended my right hand and, after a moment's hesitation, Natsume accepted it. His hand was marred with bruises and scratches, not unlike his face. I peered closely at it.

"So..you're going to tell me you got this from bumping into a tree as well."

He withdrew his hand and sharply nodded his head.

I sighed and fussed up my hair. "Follow me," I beckoned, "I know someone who could help you with your injuries from..ah...a tree."

He bobbed his head up and down and proceeded to follow me, carefully navigating his way around the wandering youkai.

As we approached the forest, more and more yokai seemed to follow us, and Natsume grew more and more wary of them every step of the way. At one point, a fox youkai reached out to touch Natsume's arm, eliciting a jolt from him. The sudden jerk startled the fox, causing it to dash back into the woods.

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><p><strong>Dun dun dun...What will happen next? Will Natsume eat bread or maybe...ice skate with penguins?(just kidding) Aye. I owe it to my friend who have taken so much of his sleep time to help me with this story. <strong>

**THANK YOU SO MUCH! 3**

**For all you people out there, please, do do do do do do do do write a review. I don't care whether it is one letter, one word, one paragraph, or one essay. I JUST WANT A REVIEW!**

**I appreciate all you guy's help~ If it weren't for you guys, I would have quit this story long ago.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I really really can not stop thanking you guys for your support! I'm so sorry that my updating schedule is very inconsistent. It's just that time isn't very nice with me, and always seems to fly away when I don't want it to! Spare me! This chapter is, again, a short one (sorry D:).**

**Next chapter I will try my best to make it better and longer! I promise!**

**Disclaimer: I still do not know why people would think I try to claim the manga as my own...I'm not good enough!**

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><p>The more we went deeper into the forest, the more the mob of yokais increased. There were all of different shapes and sizes. Feathered yokais fluttered above; gleaming multicolored feathers softly floated down from the sky, glittering as they disappeared into the air. The grass quivered gently as the vividly mass of youkais drifted upon them. Yet the alluring sight was not noticed by the young brunette, who had his eyes focused the dirt path under his feet. With him behind me, we trudged more and more into the depths of the woods, until the already scarce sunlight were but rare dull scatters of rays finding its way through the maze of dark green leaves. However, even without the sunlight to light the path, the glow from the many fireflies and youkais combined were enough to light even the darkest cave. Slowly yet surely, Natsume rose his eyes to gentle glimmer of light, his fear gradually melting away. Soon after, Natsume himself started to glow, not in the ways like the youkais, but with happiness as he danced around merrily, although still with a cautious eye, with the spiritual beings. Although my abhoration for youkais runs deep in my veins, I, truth be told, must give credit to the youkais for completing something that was almost impossible to me.<p>

The trailed ended at a shrine, complete with protective borders and unlit lanterns. Though quite small, the shrine omitted power. As we entered the premises, the crowd of youkais came to a halt in front of the entrance. Sad sighs could be heard from the mob as one by one, they disappeared.

It was quite fortunate that the forest was cleared of any malicious beings before the visit, for I certainly doubt Natsume would have even dared to enter. The layers of dead leaves that piled upon the shrine floor made soft crushing sounds as we neared the entrance. Once we reached the doorsteps, a light flickered on from within and gradually got lighter. Gnarly fingers slid opened the creaking door and a short ancient female youkai came walking out.

"Reiko?" It exclaimed, "is that you Reiko?" It sniffed the air. Natsume flinched at the name.

"Why! You're nose seems to be getting worse every day I see you! Juni!" I laughed, "Just a few weeks ago, you mistaken me for my father!"

It cringed at my voice. "What are you doing here? I've already told you I can't help your mother. It's impossible!"

There was a long pause of silence.  
>"That wasn't really a good welcome was that?"<p>

The youkai stayed silent.

"I'm not here for my mother. It's this little boy here. He supposedly crashed into a tree." I explained as I set my hand on Natsume's shoulder.

"Oh," Juni regained her posture and with a kind smile beckoned Natsume forth.

When Natsume didn't move, the aged youkai looked miffed, "I won't hurt you, little boy."

Hesitantly, Natsume inched forward. I gave him a little push and he landed squealing into the youkais arms. Natsume jumped back.

"Hey!"

"What?" I asked innocently, "I just thought you needed a little help getting to your destination."

Natsume flushed and turned back to Juni, who looked mightily amused by the current event.

Juni took it as a sign of acceptance and knelt forth to examine the boy, who flinched at every touch.

"Some tree….." Juni muttered to herself, "What type of tree can choke people? It bruises are all over! What is this? The Whomping Willow?" And after a several more minutes, she stood back up again.

"I must say! There must be a mighty tangly tree out there! I've never seen a tree choke someone before."

Natsume looked away embarrassed. "I- I- I guess it w- was a big t- t- tree"

Juni looked deep in thought and after a while reached into her long sleeves and took out a small cylinder container of the exact type of ointment she had given me quite some time ago.

"Here," she said thrusting it into Natsume's hands, "whenever you get hurt, just apply some of this onto the wound. It'll heal instantaneously!"

"In..san.. ta..nus..lee"

"Very fast" I offered.

"Oh…Thanks! uh…?"

"You can call me Juni." She smiled.

"Thanks Juni-san!" Natsume bowed at the elder youkai.

"No problem. If you ever run out, you can always come back to get more."

Natsume bowed once more and then we departed.

"She was a nice person, very different from most people." Natsume stated softly as we headed back."

"Yes, indeed, a very nice _person_" I added.

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><p><strong>. Sowwy you guys! Please, I promise it'll be better next chapter (I hope). I'll do my best to update faster! If you guys have any suggestions or comments or dissatisfactions or complaints or whatever, please review or PM!<strong>


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